On Sabbatical in Latin America
3 Reasons Horseback Riding is Over-Rated
I am the only person I know who doesn’t get excited by the thought of riding a horse in a beautiful, exotic place.
3 Reasons Horseback Riding is Over-Rated
It hurts!
Maybe my ass is not properly designed to sit in a saddle. All I know, is it hurts.
It hurts the whole time.
I have been told that when a horse breaks into a gallop, you are no longer getting beaten to death but rather become part of the horse’s movement.
The problem is that in order to gallop, you need to know how to ride a horse, which requires you to well, ride a horse a lot. If you try to pretend you know what you are doing in order to get the horse that has NOT been trained to only walk or trot, then you run the risk of falling off that horse because you don’t really know what the hell you are doing.
(Seriously, I saw a girl who had fallen off her horse on a different tour the day after this ride. She did not look good and could barely walk.)
Happy to be off the horse during our one break.
It is nearly impossible to take good photos.
The other downside of horses that are trained to just follow the leader is that they won’t stop when you want them to. I will admit that maybe I just don’t know what I am doing, but no amount of pulling on the reins would get my horse to stop for more than one second.
I did my best to take a one-handed shot with my heavy D-SLR while holding the reins with my other hand and trying to time the click when I was in mid-air versus crashing my ass down on the horse.
Of course, the changing landscapes were incredible.
It made me want to take photos that much more.
I did the best I could.
Bodily functions happen constantly.
I’m talking about the horses of course. Call me crazy, but I just don’t enjoy watching the horse in front of me crap every few minutes and then swish his tail around to make the smell waft in my direction.
So why do it?
It may the best (or only) way to see all the places you want to see in a day.
In this case, I would have had to take two or three day hiking tours in order to see all of these beautiful landscapes around Tupiza.
I have been teased for taking angled shots. This shot was not angled on purpose, but I like it 
Tupiza is Bolivia’s version of The Wild West.
As you can see, it looks like The Wild West. So you gotta get out on a horse and wear a cowboy hat.
In addition, this small town was the hideout for two of the most famous North American bank-robbers of all time. Read more about the history and mythology surrounding the Bolivian adventures of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
Check out more photos!
This was actually part of a Triathlon Tour, involving a Jeep ride, cycling, and horseback riding. There were many more gorgeous landscapes. Check out the full photo album.
What do you think? Do you say yes or no to horseback riding?
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And that’s why I suffer through it
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..Punk Tango in Buenos Aires
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I got talked into riding a camel once. That lasted all of thirty seconds. After that, I walked next to my camel while everyone else rode theirs. And by next to I mean a very good distance away–I swear the thing had it out for me.
Since horses seem to move faster than camels, I can’t imagine a situation in which I would voluntarily sit on one. You’re braver than me, no question.
Daniel McBane recently posted..How Not to Save Money While Trekking in Nepal-
Camels seem so slow that I think I’d rather throw my bag on it and walk too!
I think any animal who spends every day hauling around tourists is probably not a big fan of people.
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..Punk Tango in Buenos Aires
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Hahaha this is hilarious but oh-so-true! I’ve only ridden a horse twice and I was a nervous wreck the whole entire time! (Riding a camel is a tad bit of an improvement!) In Mexico I did see a girl fall off her horse; I swear it looked like the horse didn’t want anything to do with her! And boy, it was not a pretty sight!
BTW does the tour provide with the cowboy hat as well?
Antoinette | love.antoinette recently posted..Spotlight on Melbourne’s Street Art – pt.2 -
Now I know I’m not the only one!
And yes, the company provided the hats. I was pretty happy with that
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..Punk Tango in Buenos Aires -
The last time I rode a horse it was because my mother and sister came to visit me in Ecuador and my sister had never ridden a horse. It was a year ago and I have no desire to ever ride one again.
Ayngelina recently posted..Torn between two worlds-
I assumed you wouldn’t be into horseback riding
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..6 Tips for Surviving the Four Day Tour to the Salar de Uyuni
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haha ~ I love horse back riding! though I agree it is not a good idea if you want to take photographs. (And it is a little embarrassing if your horse stops to take a long bathroom break >.< my friends made fun of me and my horse for that on a riding tour..)
Annie – FootTracker recently posted..The Photos that Cost 2 Arms, 2 Legs, and Burned Neck -
I do not like horses. I have had a mild fear of them ever since I was little when a tame little pony named Princess lost its mind and raced off the trail with me on her back. Ever since then, horses sense my fear and freak out when I am near them. The last time I faced the fear was when I was in the Andes in Mendoza- it was ride the horse or not see the mountains. I rode the horse and it tried to buck me off. I’m so over horses!
Rease recently posted..Food Friday: Great Grapes Wine and Food Festival in Baltimore, Maryland-
Yes, based on your previous experiences, I suggest never getting on a horse again. Maybe you can walk alongside the group instead.
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..6 Tips for Surviving the Four Day Tour to the Salar de Uyuni
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Riding was one of my 2012 New Years’ resolutions; haven’t gotten to it yet, but thanks for the reminder! Hoping to get to Nepal and Bhutan later this year–think a yak ride will count?
50+ and on the Run recently posted..Guest Haiku-
I think a yak ride counts double!
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..6 Tips for Surviving the Four Day Tour to the Salar de Uyuni
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I’m not a fan of horseback riding either, but then again I’ve never tried to take pictures while on the back of one. The ones you got seem pretty nice. Perhaps you should post a couple of the “other” ones just so we believe you that it’s hard to shoot on horseback?
Steve recently posted..Our Olympic Aptitude-
They’ve already been deleted
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..6 Tips for Surviving the Four Day Tour to the Salar de Uyuni
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Considering I rode for 8 years growing up, you’d think I’d jump at the chance to combine travel and horses, right? It actually really depends on the horses themselves. Zombie trail horses that just follow their routine are kind of boring and sad to me, but I have loved the couple times I’ve gotten to explore somewhere new on a horse that actually had a personality.
Emily in Chile recently posted..Capture the Colour-
I imagine knowing what you are doing and having a good horse would be a totally different experience. But you are right that most tourists only have access to the “zombie” horses.
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..6 Tips for Surviving the Four Day Tour to the Salar de Uyuni
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haha, hilarious and all so true. I love horse riding and you’re right it is such a great way of seeing the sights. I think hiking or horse riding is the best way to see nature.
Cherina recently posted..Travel and Adventure: How to be a More Adventurous Traveller-
I choose hiking
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..6 Tips for Surviving the Four Day Tour to the Salar de Uyuni
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I love horse riding. My last summer vacation, I took a horse riding with my friends. The feeling is really amazing since you feel the cold breeze of the win. We did horse riding early in the morning.
Pauline Stacey recently posted..4 Tips to Stay Beautiful -
Not fun to do something that hurts you! I haven’t had hardly any experience with horses, yet always wanted to try, and the bit I did was fun. The horse didn’t listen to me either when I took a class, she preferred going to my relative who was taking pictures. I can imagine it was challenging taking photos while riding, yet I think you did pretty well after all.
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If I ever do it again, I will just put my camera away and only take pictures at breaks when we get off the horses.
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..6 Tips for Surviving the Four Day Tour to the Salar de Uyuni
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So so true! I went horse riding for a few hours in Tupiza as well. My guide was about eight years old and my horse bolted as soon as I jumped on. After it ran off again, I got a new one which wouldn’t move faster than a plod no matter how much I prodded it. The scenery was beautiful though.
Will Jackson – The Bearded Wanderer recently posted..A few fun facts about Taiwan-
Ha! I think my guide was 8 years old too, but he was riding bareback and really knew what he was doing.
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..6 Tips for Surviving the Four Day Tour to the Salar de Uyuni
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Lovely photos! I enjoyed many time this fun, I love horseback riding too much. I spend my vacation only to enjoy horseback riding with my friends and my sweet heart. I choose Winding Hill Riding Club they provide great guide and outdoor tour packages and some friends in my group that not aware horseback riding great horseback riding lessons for them.
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I've written a new guidebook custom designed to give you the experience of a lifetime! Published by Indie Travel Media in February 2013, you can 
Lol, most tourist-horseback riding is overrated. Some companies organise horseback-riding trips all over the world (In Argentina I was envolved in such a company), but most of the time, you have to be an experienced rider to join. In most other places, you get an old horse, who only follows the leader and won’t do anything else (or if you try to, the’ll yell at you lol)
But it’s one of the best and easiest (if you’re used to riding) way to get to know an underdeveloped country.